The Sioux was a huge nation made up of seven strong
tribes. The tribes were close. They traded with each other. They supported
each other. They worked together. They obeyed the decisions of the
Seven Council Fires. And they were peaceful.
Sioux
Men: Not all Sioux men were warriors. One man might be
a great hunter. Another might be a great storyteller, who told tales of
Iktomi, the trickster who got what he wanted by using mischief. Yet another
might be good at telling funny stories to cheer people up, like a camp
comedian. Yet another might be a recorder whose job was to paint pictures on
buffalo hides that told a story, usually a story about a great battle or a
great victory.
The Sioux believed that people should do the job
they did best.
All Sioux, men and women, were trained to defend themselves.
But the Sioux recognized that life was not about fighting with your
neighbor. There were many things in life that added to its riches.
Sioux
Women: The women were in charge of the camp and the
kids. They cooked, and gathered food and firewood. They made clothes. They
made baskets. They worked with porcupine quills and beads to decorate the
deerskin clothes the tribe wore. They made beautiful star
quilts.
One of their major jobs was to make buffalo
jerky. Jerky was a form of dried food made from meat. It was not easy to
make. It took a great deal of pounding and drying and mixing. But it was an
important food because it could be stored for two years without spoiling.
Sioux
Kids
Teepees
Clothing
Food
Recipes
Star
Quilts
Marriage
Religion
Indians
Symbols
Clever
Coyote
Who
are Inktomi and Coyote?
Sioux
Myths
